Q. There was one thing that I liked about MS-DOS that I can't get Windows XP to do! Under MS-DOS, I could type in a command to print the names of all the files in a folder. I have not been able to do this in Windows, as the Copy and Paste functions want to copy the contents of the file, not just the filename. My question: Is there a way to print all the filenamesjust the filenamesin a folder?Jimmie Maples

A. The command prompt isn't DOS, but it is extremely similar. You can use it to get a list of files in a folder. Click Start, then Run, and enter cmdit's faster than digging for Command Prompt in the Start menu. Navigate to the folder in question using your good old DOS skills. This command will get you a list of filenames in sorted order: DIR /B /ON *.* > filelist.txt. The /B switch gives a Bare listing (filename only) and /ON means sOrt by Name. You will have to delete the name filelist.txt itself from the list.

If you're using Vista, this task is much easier. Select the files in Windows Explorer, hold Shift, and right-click them. Choose Copy as Path from the menu. Paste the list into whatever editor you prefer. You get the full pathname for each file, but a simple find/replace will clean that up if necessary.

Neil Rubenking served as vice president and president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years when the IBM PC was brand new. He was present at the formation of the Association of Shareware Professionals, and served on its board of directors. In 1986, PC Magazine brought Neil on board to handle the torrent of Turbo Pascal tips submitted by readers. By 1990, he had become PC Magazine's technical editor, and a coast-to-coast telecommuter. His "User to User" column supplied readers with tips...
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